Adjuvant Therapy

[icbn]

With my tumor removed along with my left lung and the one remaining Lymph Node (2 others w/cancer cells were removed with lung) shrinking I hope to soon be cancer free. I hope.

My question is about adjuvant chemo. Does this help prevent Mets? Is it advisable?

This is the question I tried to ask my Onc that somehow insulted his professionalism. So since he's gone I thought I'd ask my Buddies here.

[Connie B]

My answer to that would be YES it can and does help.

I had the same cancer you had with two lymph nodes that were cancerous and I did chemo and radiation and here I am 11 years later. There is NO WAY of knowing if they got it all or not, so why not let the chemo do what it can to help snuff out the cancer. It sure can't hurt to go for the gusto! I say, if your going to do this up, then do up it all the way. You have nothing to lose. There's no guarentee to anything, but you have to try it all to see if it fits. Why take chances?

It's great to hear from you. How your doing okay!

Hang in there!

[RandyW]

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http://web.info.com/infocom.us/search/w ... BCancer%2B

Saying prayers and hope it helps some!!

[john]

I agree with Connie.

The lastest research does seem to indicate that often chemo should be used even in some early stage cancers.

There are times when it should not be used though such as with a typical carcinoid and other slow growing cancers which don't respond much to chemo.

The SUV going down is probably a really good sign

[blaze100]

HI icbn, I know there are two ways of thinking here. Chemo could help, but it might also hurt heart or liver down the road. I did the chemo and am glad I did (so far).

Like the way the estrogen studies flip flop, I don't think the docs know anything for sure especially when it comes to individual cases. You have to decide, and if you want chemo it looks like you need a second onc's opinion. Barb

[carolhg]

I did and and I would have adjuvant chemo all over again. Like Connie said, there is no guarantee that it got all of it, but why not give yourself the best odds available? Today I just got my latest CT scan results for brain and chest and they are showing NO EVIDENCE OF CANCER (NED. When I have scans again in 3 months it will be one year since my surgery.

Prayers

[cindi o'h]

Hi Bill,

I did the adjuvant chemo. It was rough on me. But, I did 3 or 4 treatments... now, I really don't remember. I was treatment planned for some treatments, but I absolutely couldn't do the last one that was in my original treatment plan. Something inside of me told me that if I did one more that it would kill me. So, I went to a different doctor and talked to him about it and that doc told me that there was nothing that said that 4 was more valuable than 3. There were no studies to indicate that doing 4 would do me any more good than 3. Then he said that it was my decision. That if the cancer came back, I would have to accept my decision as it was and not renig and wish I would have done things any differently. I yippee skippeed outta that office! NO MORE CHEMO!!

But, Bill, the studies do indicate that you have a better chance of beating the cancer if you do the adjucunts. So, there ya go...! You will have to listen to your body to tell you when enough is enough.

Glad you are done with radiation and everything else. You are getting there...! Almost done, guy.

Can you roast marshmallows on your chest and neck???

love,

Cindi o'h

[bunny]

hi! my mother's docs all recommended adjuvent chemo. apparently, there is a short window after surgery where it is most effective. in the end, my mom missed the window and was generally too weakened by surgical complications to have traditional chemotherapy. it was planned for her, though.

she is now on Tarceva.

good luck!

xoxo

amie

[Maryanne]

YES, YES, YES, definitely YES!!! No doubt about that. Better safe than sorry. Ask one of our members Don M. if he had it to do over again he would do it in a heartbeat.

Maryanne

[Don M]

I am a strong believer in adjuvant chemo. I am going to do adjuvant chemo again after my radiation treatment. My radiation is intended to kill the tumor. The chemo will be in the adjuvant setting to nab any loose cancer cells. This time I will do alitma or some other second line therapy.

Doing adjuvant chemo won't guarantee you anything, but it definitely gives you a statistical edge. After my second cancer was removed, I asked for chemo, even though it was a little itty bitty tumor. I wanted to make sure I did everything possible to stop it coming back. It did come back, but at least I know I did everything I could to stop it.

I suspect that a lot of the bad side effects down the road can be mitigated by drinking lots of water during treatment.

I think the studies give you a 15% edge now if you do adjuvant chemo after resection of early stage nsclc.

I will never know for sure, but if I had done adjuvant chemo after my first surgery, maybe I would not be looking at my third cancer.

I never did like much going to the chemo shop though. I was glad when it was over.

Don M

[Kaffie]

I'm also a big believer in adjuvant chemo,

there is always the possibility that a single cancer cell has escaped and can park itself elsewhere in your body and begin to grow.

Chemo is just what is needed to get that one cancer cell killed off to prevent it from growing.

Can't say enough on this subject.

Kathy

[Darci]

My FIL also did the adjuvent chemo - he had surgery in Sept to remove about 1/2 of his lung, then right before Xmas started in with his chemo treatments. He also did radiation afterward - just to make sure and to always know that he did everything he could!

His 3 month scan was clear!